A Silver Screen Saga
by Industrialis
Summary: Rick and Lisa find more than science fiction at the premiere of the new Space Battle movie. Chapter 6: spacebattling is somehow romantic? R&R, if so inclined...
1. Chapter 1

_a/n: _

_In my other Robotech story, there's a scene where Rick and Lisa talk about their favorite movies. Lisa's favorite is a classic called "Gone with the Breeze." And Rick's favorite ends up being a sci-fi action flick called "Space Battle" – a pretty obvious rip on Star Wars. Lisa is less than impressed with Rick's idea of quality cinema._

_With everybody talking about the new Star Wars movie lately, I thought it'd be fun to write a little comedy that was relevant to it. So in this story, the movie "Space Battle" is being re-released in theaters, sort of like how the Star Wars Special Edition was done a number of years back. I'm a pretty huge Star Wars fan, so I'll be poking fun at myself as much as anyone…_

_You'll probably notice that the whole Robotech continuity thing has totally gone to crap. The SDF-1 is grounded in New Macross, but Roy and Ben are still around, et cetera. Oh well – it's just a goofy little comedy. I'm not ol' Jack McKinney here… Screw the continuity, I want Roy and Ben in my story!_

_Oh well, here it goes, hope ya like it._

* * *

_A long time ago, in a solar system far, far away…_

_Space Battle. _The bold title flashed across the movie screen and panned into darkness. A hero's anthem played as a starship flew through deep space, chased by the largest battle cruiser ever shown on the silver screen. Laser blasts exploded on the hulls of both craft, but the little starship was no match.

A young boy sat all by himself in the mostly-empty matinee. In the seat to his left was an extra large popcorn, and to his right, a jumbo Petite Cola. He was glued to the amazing movie, unable to look away. Every now and then, he would feel around for a handful of popcorn, or brush his wavy black hair away from his eyes. But for the most part, he sat completely still, slack-jawed with silent awe.

It was the third time he'd seen the movie in a week.

* * *

Rick Hunter flew high above New Macross City. The island of Macross was dwarfed by his altitude, almost invisible through the cloud ceiling. The buildings and towers blended together; he could barely make out the details.

Only one structure could keep its sense of scale – the massive Super Dimension Fortress.

The Veritech's engines were screaming with power, but Rick knew his fuel cells were running dry. He flipped up his visor and wiped the sweat from his brow. _I'm totally beat, _he thought.

As he brought the VF-1 to a slow descent, he called his base over the radio.

"This is Lieutenant Hunter calling SDF-1. Sterling and Dixon have already landed. Permission to follow them down."

Lisa Hayes' voice came back to him. "We read you, Lieutenant…you'll have to wait. We're looking for an open runway."

Rick blinked his weary eyes. "Alright, roger that." He switched off the radio with an angered _snap. _"She's gonna leave me hanging again…"

* * *

Lisa looked over her shoulder. "Sammie, can you find Lieutenant Hunter a runway?"

Sammie nodded from across the command center and started calling on her radio. Lisa quickly went back to her station, where two computer monitors were showing her different information at once.

Claudia Grant poked her in the shoulder, from her post beside Lisa. "Hey," she smiled, "aren't _you_ supposed to bring the fighters in?"

"I'm a little preoccupied," Lisa drolled. "There's a malfunctioning Destroid by the soutwhest hangars, and it looks like a fuel truck is tipped over in the middle of Runway Three. I'll have to send a couple of Battloids from the reserve to put it back on its wheels…"

Rick Hunter called in through the radio. _Tower, this is Hunter…I'm still up here, you know…_

"Thank you for the _update_, Lieutenant," sighed Lisa. "Please stand by."

Claudia shook her head. "Kim, can you call the Battloids to the runway? And Vanessa, have Emergency Control shut the Destroid down by remote, please."

"Sure thing!" said Kim.

"Already done!" chimed Vanessa.

Claudia leaned against Lisa's command post. "See, honey? That's called delegation."

Lisa shook her head solemnly. "Those aren't their jobs, Claudia. I'd much rather have them working on their own duties."

"You can't do everything," said Claudia kindly. She patted her friend lightly on the back. "You're over-working yourself!"

Lisa looked up sternly. "Could we please maintain a level of professionalism on this bridge? I'll mind my duties, and I expect everyone else to do the same."

The bridge grew uncomfortably quiet. Claudia rolled her eyes. "Yes ma'am," she shrugged.

"_Thank _you. We'll all do much better once everyone focuses on their own assignments."

Hunter radioed in again. _Um…hey Tower…remember me? I'm sorta flying on fumes here…_

Lisa growled under her breath. "Sammie! Have you found a runway yet?"

"Everyone but Sammie," giggled Claudia. Vanessa and Kim covered their smiling faces.

"Um…no," Sammie replied. "Everything's still full. We'd have Runway Three cleared up if it weren't for that fuel truck…"

"I'm taking care of that," said Kim.

Lisa turned around and stomped her foot. "No you are _not!"_

Once again, the bridge grew quiet. But this time, there was radio static in the air. Lieutenant Hunter was still listening.

_Tower…what the heck is going on down there!_

_"Stand by!"_ Lisa shouted. She punched the radio off.

"All right, that's enough," said Claudia. "We're getting crazy here. Let's just relax for a minute."

Lisa buried her face in her hands. Claudia made sure she wasn't looking, and quietly mouthed "Fix everything!" to the girls. They went right back to work.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Lisa sighed. "I'm just…having a bad day, that's all."

"Hey, it's been a rough one. And you're covering for the Admiral today, too. That's a lot of pressure."

Lisa slumped against her command station. "I'm feeling…tired lately. It's not like me. I can usually handle all of this."

Claudia smiled. "I've got just the thing," she said, leaning over to Lisa. "A break! How 'bout you come see a movie with me and Roy this weekend?"

"You and _Roy? _Oh, that doesn't sound awkward at _all!" _Lisa laughed.

"I can get you a date…" Claudia nudged her.

The girls heard the comment and instantly started buzzing in the background. Lisa blushed and chuckled lightly. "What makes you think I couldn't get a date?"

"Oh, I'm not saying that! I just…know this guy, that's all. He wants to meet you."

Lisa thought about it, running her fingers over the keys of her computer. "Well…hmm…uh, what movie are we seeing?"

"Does it really matter?" laughed Claudia.

"Humor me."

"All right, then. We're going to see _Space Battle."_

Lisa's face turned. "Oh, Claudia! That cheesy old sci-fi movie? Why would you want to see that?"

"Hey, itis _not _cheesy," pouted Claudia. "It happens to be a very good movie. And I know for a fact that you've _never seen it."_

Lisa exhaled. "There's a reason for that, you know."

"Yeah, you're afraid to have any fun! Come on, they just re-released it! There's all kinds of new special effects and stuff. Roy's very excited."

"And _you're _excited too?"

Claudia shrugged. "I'm excited that _Roy's _excited…come on, honey! It's just one movie with a _really nice_ guy! What have you got to lose?"

Lisa took an even longer time to think about it. But she finally caved in. "Oh…all right, fine."

"That's my girl!" Claudia grinned. "Geez, it's like I had to drag you into it!"

The bridge crew went back to work, with a much lighter spirit then before. But they were quickly interrupted by an explosive, powerful scream from above them.

Rick Hunter's Veritech dropped from the sky and buzzed over the tower. The force from the engines shook the bridge and knocked everyone out of their stations. As Hunter roared away, his wings swept back and he spun into a barrel roll.

Lisa climbed up from the floor. She punched the radio back on. "Lieutenant Hunter…what do you _think _you are _doing!"_

"Hello Tower!" Rick called, quite agitated. "Are we on speaking terms again?"

The girls giggled, and even Claudia cracked a smile. Lisa fumed with anger. "You get back here this _instant, _Hunter!"

"My pleasure, Commander. Are you gonna let me land, or should I just _ditch _this thing and hope my _chute works?"_

Lisa had forgotten again. She looked down at her computers; Sammie had finally opened up a runway for Rick.

"You're clear on Runway Five," Lisa grumbled.

* * *

Rick was totally exhausted. He could barely walk from his debriefing, which had lasted almost two hours, to the small pilot's lounge where he could finally relax. It was a cramped little room with a sofa and a few vending machines, where a pilot would get a chance to rest between missions. Rick wished he could go home, but there was a chance he might need to fly again. A quick nap and a bag of Crunchers would have to suffice.

He slouched down in the sofa, still wearing most of his flight suit. But as he began to drift off, a quick slap on the shoulder shocked the living daylights out of him.

The face of Roy Fokker was the first thing he saw.

"What the heck was _that?"_ Roy smirked.

"Wha -- oh…hi Roy. What the heck was what?"

"That little stunt you pulled up there!" said Roy.

Rick turned a little red. "Oh…that was my temper," he smiled.

Roy sat down beside him. Rick was a little hesitant to move, but he grudgingly made some room.

"You're beat, kid. Looks like you went fifteen rounds with a Zentraedi."

"I flew three missions in a row," Rick sighed. "They had to re-fuel me in the air twice. Max lost one of his tail fins, and Ben nearly got himself killed…once per mission."

Roy shook his head. "Yeesh. It's rough being the leader, isn't it?"

"You're not kidding."

Rick stared across the room at the vending machine. He unzipped one of his pockets and fished around for some change.

"Know what's sad?" he sighed. "When the turning point of your day is whether or not the machine's got Crunchers."

Roy kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Know what you need?" he said. "A break. Why don't you come with me and Claudia to see _Space Battle _this weekend?"

Rick smiled. "Uh…no thanks," he said. "I'd really be a third wheel, you know?"

"Well…not necessarily. I know a very nice young lady who's been wanting to meet you."

"You do not."

"Seriously! I told her all about you, and she's _very _interested. I can get her to come along. What do you say?"

Rick thought for a moment. "Nice girl, eh?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good looking?"

"Gorgeous."

"And we're seeing _Space Battle."_

Roy nodded at the ceiling. "Your favorite movie of all time, of course. It's almost too good to be true."

Rick nodded along with his friend. But he suddenly cringed and reached into his pocket again. "Oh, man…I can't! I'm seeing it with Ben and Max! They already bought me a ticket, see?"

He pulled out a movie ticket, and Roy took out a few of his own. They huddled up and carefully examined them.

"Same place…" Roy said, rubbing his chin. "Downtown Macross Multiplex…same exact time, too."

"And it looks like my theater's right across from yours," said Rick. "So much for that."

Roy flipped the tickets around in his hand, like a deck of playing cards. "No, wait a minute…who's to say you can't meet her _after _the movie? We're right across from each other, right?"

"Sure!" nodded Rick. "Yeah, I'll just meet up with you guys after the show's over!"

They both sat back in the sofa, feeling somewhat accomplished. Another pilot stepped quickly into the lounge and looked into the vending machine. "Aw, come on!" he whined. "Who ate all the Crunchers?" The pilot banged the machine with his fist and ran off.

"Poor guy," smiled Rick. "He needs a break."

"That he does," grinned Roy.

"I owe you one, Big Brother."

"Yeah, well, you haven't met her just yet..."

"I'll take my chances. As long as it doesn't remind me of _work_, I don't care _who _she is."


	2. Chapter 2

The control tower wasn't nearly as hostile as the day before. But it still wasn't running very smoothly. Lisa was distant, and she seemed removed from her responsibilities. She was making little mistakes all over the place -- mistakes that Claudia and the girls had to immediately correct.

Vanessa sighed and leaned back in her chair. "All right everyone!" she beamed. "I've got that reactor leak sealed up!"

"Thank goodness!" cried Sammie. "The Veritechs in Hangar Twelve could've been destroyed!"

Claudia turned around. "Great job, Vanessa," she nodded.

Lisa took a while to respond. "Oh!" she finally said. "Yes...well done, Vanessa!"

She went back to watching the display on her computer. She tried to concentrate, but soon she was daydreaming again.

_I wonder what he'll be like! _she thought. _I hope he's not an older guy...but he can't be too old, can he? Otherwise Claudia wouldn't have asked him to come along!_

Rick Hunter's voice called in from the sky. _Come in, Tower. This is Lieutenant Hunter...my wingmen have landed; requesting permission to come down."_

Lisa said nothing. Claudia waited for a few seconds and watched, but Lisa kept staring blankly at her computer screens.

Claudia exhaled. "We read you, Lieutenant," she said.

Lisa snapped out of it. "Oh! Sorry!" she cried. "I'll take care of it, Claudia. And Lieutenant Hunter, please hold while we find you a runway..."

_Here we go with this again, _groaned Rick. He patiently maintained radio silence.

"Now, let's see..." Lisa went back to her computers, but it wasn't long before she drifted away again. She couldn't wait to meet her date, but she was less than thrilled about the movie. In fact, she had been troubled about it ever since Claudia had brought it up.

_If only there was a way to skip the movie...what if I were to meet him after it was over? No, I couldn't do that, I'd look stupid. Especially in front of Claudia...she set this whole thing up for me in the first place..._

Claudia noticed her staring carefully at the computer screens. "Um...hey, Lisa?" she leaned over. "Aren't you supposed to be pushing some buttons over there?"

Lisa shook off her daydream. "Hmm? Oh, sorry. You're right."

Claudia smiled gently. "Now, I know you need a break...but try to remember, it doesn't start until tomorrow afternoon!"

"Sorry," Lisa blushed.

She returned to her old self, typing madly at the keys until she found a result she liked. "Ah! Here we go. We've got Runway Six open for him." She flipped on the radio and cheerfully gave Hunter the information.

_Thank you, Commander! _said Rick, a little surprised. _I'll be down in a few._

Claudia poked Lisa in the shoulder. "Well, _he _certainly sounded cheery! You think he likes you?"

The girls all giggled in the background. Lisa blushed and waved at Claudia. "Oh, get _real."

* * *

_

Rick saw the runway quickly approaching. His landing gear were down, and his airbrakes were slowing the Veritech to landing speed. Trails of vapor slid off his out-swept wings.

The landing lights blinked and showed him the way in. And his head-up display showed that he was lined up perfectly. The asphalt passed under his fuselage as he prepared to touch down.

And then he looked further in the distance, to the end of the runway, and saw another Veritech fighter rolling to a stop.

He slammed back on his flight stick and throttled up, before his heart could beat again.

* * *

Max Sterling climbed out of his cockpit, with his blue-striped helmet cradled under his arm. "Oh man," he said to himself, "feels like I've been sitting up there for days!"

He stretched his aching back and arms, looking down the runway. And he quickly noticed Rick's Veritech, coming straight at him.

Its airbrakes slid away and it quickly pulled up. The engines blasted to life and the fighter roared back off the pavement, missing Max's tail fins by inches. The sound was horrible, and the force of the Veritech threw Max to the ground.

Max's helmet radio immediately sparked up. _Lieutenant Sterling! _Called a technician's voice. _Evacuate the runway immediately!_

He stood back up, shakily running his hand through his long blue hair. "Uhmm..._yeah..._yeah, that...sounds good."

* * *

The bartender poured a draft beer from the tap, and slid it to Ben Dixon. He took a healthy slug. "Ahh...hits the spot, you know?" he grinned, slapping Rick on the back.

Max leaned over the bar and watched Ben. "Are you old enough to drink that?"

"Very funny," said Ben. He started to order a beer for Rick, but he was caught short.

"I don't drink," sighed Rick, exhausted. "Not tonight, anyway."

Ben scoffed. "Oh, come on! You gotta loosen up a little, sir! You had a long day, why not enjoy a couple beers?"

"Not tonight, Ben."

Ben shrugged, and finished his beer in a few gulps. Max rolled his eyes and smiled. They all sat at the bar for a while, watching sports on the TV and chatting idly, but mostly watching Ben drink.

"So, _Space Battle!" _Max remembered. "That's tomorrow night, isn't it?"

Rick smiled at the thought of it. "You bet it is. And thanks to Ben here, we've got tickets for the first showing."

"You're welcome!" said Ben from behind a pint glass.

Max leaned tiredly against the bar. "Yeah, I can't wait. I've seen it a million times, but it'll be amazing to see it in a theater!"

Rick nodded. _As long as I'm not seeing it alone, _he thought.

Ben grabbed a handful of nuts from a bowl beside him. "Ya know...I don't get what's so great about that movie. I've never even seen it."

Max and Rick stared at him, cold as ice.

"What?" shrugged Ben. He tossed a few beer nuts across the bar by accident.

"You have to be kidding!" laughed Max. "That's ridiculous. You never saw _Space Battle _as a kid?"

"I was making good with the _ladies _as a kid," beamed Ben.

Max went back to sitting quietly. But after a moment passed, Rick chuckled and looked up.

"No you weren't!"

They shared a good laugh at Ben's expense. He decided to prove his masculinity by ordering yet another beer. They found this equally funny.

But their laughter was cut short, as Commander Hayes approached behind them. She cleared her throat, as if she were ready to make some formal announcement. Max and Ben gave their attention, but Rick buried his head between his arms.

Lisa took a nervous breath. "Good evening...gentlemen," she began shakily. "This will only take a minute...may I say something?"

Ben just blinked at her, confused. But Max smiled kindly and said, "Sure, ma'am! We're all ears."

"Well...I only want to say that...what happened on the landing strip today was a terrible mistake. You were put in very grave danger...and I take full responsibility for that. I hope you accept my most heartfelt apologies."

Max blinked with surprise. "Well...sure! I mean, yes ma'am! It was just an accident anyway."

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't even there!" he said, downing his beer.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for Rick. So he slowly raised his head, turned around, and smiled politely at Lisa. "Thank you," he said quickly. "Have a nice evening."

Lisa nodded nervously and left them alone. Max looked quizzically at Rick. "You seemed a little short with her, sir."

"What am I supposed to say?" sighed Rick.

"I don't know...she was just trying to apologize."

"I don't want an apology. I want her to do her _job, _or find someone who _can..."_

Ben slapped his face. "Sir, can you_ let it go_ for at least a couple of hours? You're gonna give me a bigger headache than the drinks."

"Ben, she almost got us _killed _today -- "

"Yeah yeah, got us killed, _whatever. _With all due respect, let's quit with the angst already! And I've got just the thing to help you out. Bartender...?"

Ben raised his hand, but Rick grabbed it and brought it back down. "Cut that out!"

Ben and Max laughed, but Rick wasn't in the mood. He slid off his barstool and walked away, still thinking about the near-disaster of the day. But as he looked around, he noticed Lisa Hayes. She was seated at a table in a dark corner of the bar, by herself. And she looked miserable, slumped over the table and sipping a strong drink. Her eyes were shut tightly and her hair was a complete mess.

Rick zipped up his jacket and stepped outside.

* * *

The credits finished rolling and the theater lights came on. Ushers began to walk the aisles, cleaning up whatever mess was left by the small crowd. Almost everyone had left, but a few people had stayed to see the credits through.

The young, black-haired boy finished the last of his giant Petite Cola. "Wow," he smiled, as the screen faded to black.

In the row behind him, some girls were laughing and joking about _Space Battle._

"That was the stupidest thing ever!" said one.

"What a dumb movie!" said another.

And the third added, "Like...the dumbest thing _ever!"_

They had been mocking the movie ever since they arrived, halfway through it. But the boy was too embarrassed to say anything. Now he just wanted to shut them up.

"Hey!" he turned around, throwing his hands onto his hips. "This is a good movie!"

The girls laughed even louder. He hadn't gotten a good look at them, but now he noticed that they were a lot older than him. Maybe even in high school. He regretted it already.

"Sure it is," said one of them, and she patted the boy's scruffy black hair. "Now run along and tell all your friends about it, 'kay?"

The girls were still giggling to each other as they left the theater. The young boy could make out a whisper of, "I think he was alone the whole time!"

He looked down at his Petite Cola, then up at the movie screen. "It's a _good movie," _he frowned defiantly.


	3. Chapter 3

Rick sat nervously in the back of his taxi cab. He'd spent more time than usual getting dressed, and finally decided that he didn't own anything remotely nice-looking. It had been ages since he'd been out socially. But a Veritech pilot rarely had the opportunity, especially one as over-worked as Rick was.

He'd finally decided on some casual clothes, though extremely nice by Rick Hunter standards. Max and Ben would notice for sure. And Rick wasn't in the mood to get ribbed by Ben Dixon all night about a blind date. He decided not to bring it up unless he needed to.

He was trying to think of viable excuses to leave the guys and meet his date. And he didn't seem to be getting anywhere, when his cellular phone interrupted him.

It was Max on the other end. "Hey Rick," he said. "Um...we've got a little problem."

"Yeah, I know I'm a little late," replied Rick. "I'm on the way now...can you wait up for me?"

"No...it's not you, it's us." Max stopped to yell something away from his phone. "I hate to say this...but Ben's car broke down."

"What! I told him to take a cab!"

"He insisted on driving. We're on the side of the freeway right now. Ben says he can fix it, but I called for a tow truck anyway. I don't think we're gonna make it to the movie."

Rick sighed and looked out the cab's window. The Macross Multiplex was just down the street. It had three floors of giant screens and stadium seating, unlike any other movie theater in Macross City. Tonight, most of the screens would be showing _Space Battle, _and it looked like Rick was about to watch it alone.

* * *

"Hurry up, Lisa! I bet the previews are starting already!" 

Claudia waved to Lisa from down the hall, in the arms of her boyfriend, ace pilot Roy Fokker. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll make it in time."

Lisa hung back, looking nervously around the multiplex's corridor. She passed the doorways leading to theaters, and heard the screams and explosions from within. They were powerful enough to shake the floor.

She cracked a weak smile at Claudia. "I'm coming," she said. "I just...um...I'm just a little bit..."

"Look, there it is! We're not too late!"

Near the end of the hall, two theater doors hadn't yet opened. They were right across from one another, and each one was labeled _Space Battle. _Long lines of people waited outside for the ushers to let them in.

As Claudia pointed the way, one of the theaters opened up. The crowd rushed inside to get the best seats. "Oh, good," grinned Roy, "looks like we didn't miss anything. I love that big shoot-out at the beginning..."

Lisa stopped in her place. "Oh! You know what...I _completely_ forgot to buy some popcorn!"

Claudia thought for a moment. "Hmm...shoot, so did I."

"Can't have a movie without popcorn!" shrugged Lisa. "I'll be _right _back, I'll just go up to the concession stand."

She turned around, somewhat relieved, and headed back up the hallway. But Roy's voice called out and her heart sank again.

"Hey! Hold on, Miss Hayes, I'll go back and get some."

Lisa froze. "Um...no, really...I don't mind at all."

Roy caught up to her. "Don't worry about it. I've seen this movie a million times! Go grab some seats with Claudia and I'll meet you in there."

"But...I..."

She sighed inwardly and nodded at Roy. "Thank you," she smiled, and continued down the shaking hallway to her theater.

* * *

The lines had been ridiculous all night. Rick had pre-ordered his ticket, but apparently, so had everyone else seeing the movie. There was a line out the door just to get the tickets checked. The line to _buy _a ticket was non-existent; every showing of _Space Battle _was sold out. 

Now he waited in another line, the one to enter the theater. Its doors were still closed, and the people in line were getting restless. They looked at their watches and complained about the late start. The theater across from them had started, and they could all hear the music beginning inside.

Rick could care less. He sighed despondently and looked over his shoulder, wondering if he'd see Ben and Max come through the entrance. Things didn't look good.

Something plastic bumped against his head. "Hey," he sighed, turning around.

Two young men behind him were dressed as characters from the film, Imperial Strike Troopers. They were covered in white plastic armor. Shiny, skull-shaped helmets were fitted tightly on their heads.

One of the trooper tapped the black bubble-eyes of his helmet. "Sorry!" he said. "I can't see a _thing _in here."

"We won't be able to see the movie!" said his friend.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

"I _did _say so before!"

Rick laughed. "Don't worry about it." He thought, a_t least somebody's going to have a good time._

He felt another bump against his head, but this one was more forceful. At first he thought it was just the Strike Trooper. But when he felt it again, he got a little aggravated. Once again, he turned around.

"Hey, come on now --"

A stiff, plastic human hand was directly in his face.

_"Gyahh!"_

Rick stumbled back, almost tripping over a garbage can. He quickly looked up and scanned over the line, looking for the perpetrator, and found him right away.

It was a tall, pale and very thin man, probably a few years older than Rick. His beady eyes were magnified even larger behind a pair of thick glasses. He wore his frizzy blonde hair in a ponytail, and a patchy beard covered his chin.

But most unsettling of all was his clothing, another costume from the film. He was wearing a dull brown robe tied at the waist with a metal utility belt. The heroes of _Space Battle, _the Knights of the Republic, wore the same robes.

"Schhtand down!" said the man, with a nasal voice and a lisp that Rick already hated.

He stepped back up to the line. "Um...hi there."

The man pushed his hand in Rick's face again. It was a prosthetic limb.

"I said _scchhhtand down, _citizen! I muschht be allowed to take your placcce!"

Rick blinked stoically. "Yeah...see, I was kind of...standing here."

"I under-schhtand, young man, but this ischh a matter of galactic sccchhecurity!"

The people in line turned and giggled. But Rick wasn't in the mood for something like this.

"Listen," he began. "I got here, like, an hour ago. I've been standing in _this_ line for twenty minutes. Just let me keep my place."

The man lifted his prosthetic hand in the air. "You schee this? I was wounded in the _Hyperschhpace War! _My presence commands a great deal of _reschhhpect! _Do you know who you're talking to?

Rick rubbed his chin. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say...Luke Starkiller."

"You're _abschhholutely right!" _the man spat in Rick's face. "Now relinquish your schhhpot, or I'll have to use my _powerschh!"_

An usher grabbed him by the shoulders. "Hey! Line jumping warrants removal from this theater!"

"Wait...no, wait! You can't do thisschh to me! I'm a Knight of the Republic! I deschherve my place here! I demand that you _schhhtop!"_

The young Luke Starkiller was dragged down the alley by his robe. He growled vehemently at Rick, and pointed with his good hand.

"You'll pay for thischh! I scchhhwear, you'll pay _dearly _for what you've done!"

The line of people laughed and applauded. They patted Rick on the back and congratulated him on defeating the "Knight."

"Whoa...what a nutcase!" said a Strike Trooper, bumping into the woman next to him.

But Rick didn't feel any accomplished. As the usher disappeared down the hall with the line jumper in hand, Rick remembered that he was still alone. And now, he felt worse than ever.

* * *

Laser-fire shot down a space ship's corridor. Rebel soldiers were hidden behind supply crates and doorways, engaged in a fierce crossfire. Strike Troopers poured in from a blown-out airlock, blasting everything in sight. They overtook the rebels and killed them all. 

As the last Rebel soldier fell, the music grew bold and ominous. The smoke of laser burns began to clear. And from the darkness of the airlock, a shadowy giant of a man stepped into the ship's hallway. His steady, robotic breathing filled the air as he faded into view, a mechanical being draped in a long black cape. His angular black helmet turned from side to side as he surveyed the dead rebels around him.

Lisa shuddered away from the screen. She couldn't stand it anymore. The sounds were horribly loud and they came from every direction. Even when she closed her eyes, the gunfire and explosions shocked her.

Her hands were shaking and her throat was dry. She rubbed her face and tried to breathe deeply, but deep inside, she was bracing for the next shocking image on the screen.

"Cla...Claudia?" she whispered, squinting through tightly-closed eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm just not feeling well..."

Claudia and Roy were cuddling romantically, their arms around one another as they watched the movie. Her head rested gently on Roy's shoulders. The flashes of light from the movie shone on their faces.

Lisa looked down at the empty seat beside her. She sat back in her own place, as deeply into the cushions as possible, and wished it was two hours in the future.

* * *

"Lord Invader! We've searched the ship, and there's no sign of the missing droids!" 

The dark, mechanical beast, Dark Invader, stood imposingly in the ship's control room. One of the Rebel officers was in his grasp; he held the man in the air by his throat.

"Where are the droids?" Invader growled.

Rick watched from his seat in the theater. He yawned and sat back, trying to get comfortable. _I don't know, _he thought. _I'm just a navigation officer._

The Rebel choked and coughed. "I don't know...I'm just...a navigation officer!"

Invader's helmet looked the rebel coldly in the eyes. "You are _not cooperating_! Where are the _droids!"_

_Please, _thought Rick, _I don't know._

The officer struggled to breathe. "Please! I don't...know!"

Dark Invader tightened his grip on the man, choking him to death. He dropped the still body onto the floor, and turned without remorse to address his Strike Troopers. At one time it was a shocking scene. But Rick had seen it a thousand times before.

And he'd always seen it alone. He could probably recite the entire movie line for line, but he'd always been forced to see it by himself.

He looked down at the empty seats beside him and sighed. _I can't do this anymore. I might as well just give it up._

It wasn't easy getting out, but he managed to make it to the aisles without bumping into everybody. A group of young girls pointed at him as he passed, and quietly laughed to one another.

* * *

The door slid shut as he stepped out of the theater. He could still hear the sound effects coming from inside, and the audience's gasps of excitement. 

_I'm done with that, _he thought, with an aching heart. _No use sitting around in there, wishing it were any different. Might as well suck it up and go home..._

But as Rick stepped into the hall, he saw the theater across from him. _Space Battle _was scrolling on the marquee sign above the door.

_My date! _he groaned. _She's in there with Roy, waiting to meet me! I can't just leave when a beautiful girl wants to meet me...that sure doesn't happen every day. _

He'd made up his mind, though. There was no going back to the movie. After some deep thinking, and lots of awkward standing-around in the hallway, he decided to find something to eat and come back.

As he left his _Space Battle _movie behind, patting his pockets to find his wallet, he noticed a familiar sight. It was a beautiful girl with dark brown hair, and he was almost sure he recognized her from somewhere. But how could he know her? He spent his days at the RDF base, and his social life was limited to late-night drinks with Max and Ben.

Still, he was almost sure he'd at least seen her before. He stopped and tried to get a glimpse of her face, but he couldn't. She was curled up against the wall, slumped forward, with her face covered by her hands. Her blouse and skirt were wrinkled from sitting on the floor. Rick could hear her breathing from where he stood; it seemed short. And it almost looked as though she were shaking.

Naturally, his brain worked double-time, trying to find an acceptable excuse to approach her. _I was just concerned, _he finally decided. _That sounds fine. After all, I am concerned! She's alone, she doesn't look happy and I'm concerned. She just happens to be absolutely gorgeous, that's all!_

Rick choked away his nervousness and knelt down beside her. "Um...excuse me..." he managed. "Are...are you all right?"

She gasped and quickly lifted her head. Rick was absolutely shocked; it was Commander Lisa Hayes. But even now, he still barely recognized her. She was swollen and red from shedding tears. Strands of hair fell on her wet face, and stuck there. Her deep green eyes grew wide when she saw Rick, and then she quickly covered her face again.

"...Go away," she whispered from a dry mouth. "Just...go away."

Rick nodded and eased back. But something kept him from leaving her.

"Uh...listen," he said quietly. "You're probably not in the mood for this...but I need to apologize for last night. I've kinda been over-worked lately...and I guess I've been a little short-tempered. I'm really sorry."

Lisa sat with he face covered by her hands, and barely moved.

"Well...that's it, then," Rick smiled uncomfortably. "I'll leave you alone."

A movie-style explosion roared from down the hallway. Lisa cried out and scrambled up the wall, trying to get on her feet. She lost her balance and stumbled forward. But Rick was still on his knees, and he caught her, however roughly. Her fall made him clap hard against the floor.

He felt a headache coming on as he gathered her into his arms. "Hey, come on..." he breathed. "Hey, it's all right..."

She shuddered with panic-stricken eyes, panting for air. Rick was beginning to worry.

"It's okay, it's okay..."

She gripped his shoulders as tightly as she could. Rick felt her fingernails scratching him. _I...can't breathe! _she gasped. _I can't breathe..._

"All right...you're gonna be just fine, okay? Just fine...do you have...some kind of medicine?"

Another sound effect bommed through the hallway. Lisa Hayes held him tighter, and hung her face low. _I just...want to go home..._

Rick looked back at his movie theater, and to the one opposite it. Roy was there with Rick's date for the evening. He doubted he'd get another chance with her. A beautiful girl was finally interested in him, and he was about to walk out on her.

When Lisa Hayes looked up with her deep green eyes, he smiled. "Me too," he said gently. "Come on, I'll get you back home."

* * *

_a/n:_

_I know what you're thinking... Will Ben Dixon ever fix his car! The suspense is killing us all!_

_So it looks like we've got the makings of a "villain" here, eh? The appearance of the dreaded Space Battle Geek! I think every Star Wars fan has at least a little of that guy somewhere in him; some of us are just afraid to admit it! _

_Anyway, next chapter will be much more light-hearted. Things will start looking up for Rick and Lisa...as long as they can get outta that theater! And before they can, they'll have to match wits with a mischief-causing little guy you might recognize from the old "Wings of Steel."_

_It'll be more fun than a barrel of womp rats!_


	4. Chapter 4

Despite the size of the Macross Multiplex, it wasn't difficult getting to the exit. The whole place seemed empty since everyone was watching a movie. It was a long walk, but Rick and Lisa finally made it to a corridor that led outside.

He'd never been so nervous in his life. Lisa wasn't supposed to react this way -- he'd never seen her at anything less than prudent, collected and extremely professional. To be acting as drastically as she was, something had to be terribly wrong. And Rick had a sinking feeling that he was the cause of it.

_I don't know what I did this time, _he sighed to himself. _But when it's over, I bet I'll be sorry..._

Lisa walked quietly behind him. Rick could almost feel how tense she was. But now, she was carrying herself with a little more confidence.

The corridor was split down the middle by a long stretch of rope. On one side, paying customers could enter the doors to their movies. The other side was just a trip to the exit. Rick remembered his childhood days, skipping under the ropes when no one was looking, and catching another movie for free. It wasn't a fond memory, but he laughed at himself anyway.

The sounds of a dozen _Space Battles _began to fill the hall. Soon, Rick wasn't able to hear Lisa's footsteps. He glanced over his shoulder, just in case.

"You there?" he asked.

Lisa was just inches behind him. Rick almost jumped with surprise. "Oh -- hey," he smiled awkwardly.

_Hello, _she whispered sternly. Her green eyes were filled with more determination than he'd ever seen.

Laser fire and explosions came from inside a theater as they passed it. And from the next one, it was the eerie breathing of Dark Invader. Rick could tell that Lisa was even closer. She was nearly brushing against his jacket. He picked up his pace, but he didn't want to seem obvious.

A giant movie poster was hanging from the wall. Apparently, a new science fiction movie was coming out in a few weeks. _In Space, _read the tag line, _No One Can Hear You Bleed._

_Oooh, _thought Rick, trying not to laugh.

_Death on Mars _was the name of the film. The poster showed a landscape of the red planet, Mars. A skeleton's hand was thrusting up from beneath the dust, and a blood-soaked space helmet lay beside it.

"Hmm," Rick thought aloud. "That looks good..."

"What looks good?" asked Lisa.

She peeked around Rick's side and saw the poster. Immediately, she panicked. Rick had to catch her from falling over the ropes.

Obvious or not, it was time to get the heck _out. _Rick put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her along at his side. He went as quickly as he could, until he was almost running. But he didn't get far, until Lisa fell out of his arms and landed on the floor.

"Come on," said Rick. He stretched out his hand and tried to be encouraging. "We're almost there, you can do it."

Lisa tried to catch her breath. She rubbed her ankle and glared up at Rick.

"Not...like this...I can't! ...I'm wearing heels!"

"...Oh. Um, sorry."

Rick helped her off the ground. She nodded quietly, but politely, and they continued on with something of a smile on their faces.

* * *

"I think we're lost."

"No, I don't think so...the signs all pointed this way."

Rick tried to stay positive, but he'd never seen so many dark corridors since the SDF-1. It felt like the exit signs were running him in a giant circle. But he figured that as long as he was on the correct side of the rope, he'd get to an exit eventually.

He was starving. Since he'd planned on going out after the movie, he'd skipped dinner. And now, even the movie-sized boxes of chocolate malt balls seemed appetizing.

At least Lisa was becoming more relaxed. They were in a quieter wing of the Multiplex now, and many of the screens weren't showing a movie. But still, Lisa seemed a bit tense.

_What could be bothering her so much? _thought Rick. _Maybe she just doesn't like movies...but if that's the case, what was she doing here? It just doesn't make sense..._

He'd been trying to make sense of it for a while. Whatever her problem was, he sure didn't want to make it worse. It was not wise to get on Lisa Hayes' bad side. But for all his pondering, he still couldn't pin the blame on himself.

_Space Battle..._

_Battles...in space..._

_Death on Mars..._

His leg collided with a sturdy piece of metal. "Owch!" he cried.

Lisa jumped. "What! What's going on?"

A cheerful robotic voice answered them both. _Excuse me. Tickets please!_

Standing in Rick's path was a short, square-looking robot, mostly devoid of features except for a few blinking lights and an antenna on top. It rolled backwards a little as Rick rubbed his sore leg.

"What?" said Rick.

"Tickets please," repeated the robot.

"What do you mean, tickets?"

"You are required to present a ticket before viewing a movie."

"But we're not going to..."

The robot's antenna perked up. "You cannot refuse to submit a ticket! Attempting to sneak into a theater is a punishable offense!"

Rick rubbed his face, aggravated. "No, you idiot! We're not going to _see a movie. _We want to _leave._"

"Ushers are on their way to escort you out! Law enforcement agents will be called if you resist!"

The robot scooted around in circles flailing its antenna. Rick was glad the hallway was empty; he wondered how quietly he could smash the little thing to pieces. And whether all of the evidence would fit inside a garbage can.

But as he rolled up his sleeves, Lisa calmly stepped in front of him. She bent down, picked up the robot with both hands, and lifted it over top of the ropes. She set it down carefully on the other side. The robot stopped for a second, wiggled its antenna, and seemed to look around.

"Re-calibrating to match hallway schematics..."

It looked at the ropes, and then at Rick and Lisa. "Good evening," it said calmly. "Did you enjoy your movie?"

"Not really," smiled Lisa.

"I am sorry. Perhaps your next film will be better. Have a very pleasant evening."

It rolled quietly away, leaving Rick somewhat dumbfounded. Lisa covered the smile on her face and looked up at him.

"See? He was just on the wrong side."

"Um...yeah. Yeah, I see that." Rick exhaled the rest of his frustration. "Think we can find a way out of here?"

"I sure hope so."

"Good," he replied as they disappeared down the hallway. "This place is trying my patience."

* * *

The glass door flew open with the force of a sharp kick. The neon "Open" sign in the window almost fell over. Rick and Lisa stumbled in, soaking wet, and a violent thunderstorm was pouring rain on the streets behind them.

The diner was empty, except for a bored waitress leaning against the counter. She paid little attention to them as they passed her by, dropping into a booth and sighing almost in unison.

Rick sat back against the uncomfortable booth. "Oh man...what the heck is going on? We got passed up by...what, five cabs?"

Lisa quietly picked up a sheet of paper on their table. She looked it over and handed it to Rick with a groan.

_ Attention!_

_ Due to the obvious failure of the proposed "Hug a Cabbie Day,"  
Macross City is looking for new ways to show our appreciation  
for cab drivers._

_ Starting October 2nd at midnight, cabbies will have the whole day off!_

_ REMEMBER -- OCTOBER 2nd IS "NO CAB DAY!"_

Rick tossed the paper aside, and shrugged tiredly at Lisa.

* * *

"You can't seriously want to fix that car, Ben."

Max walked up the stairway to his apartment, with Ben quickly in tow. He stopped at a landing for his friend to catch up.

"Sure, why not?" Ben huffed. "She's been great to me! I can't let that baby go."

"All right," Max rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying...maybe it's _time_ to let her go, you know?"

"Not a chance, man. That car will last me forever."

"Not the way _you _treat it..." Max laughed.

"What are you trying to say? I do everything I'm supposed to! I even change the oil myself!"

"Oh, I've seen you change the oil. You just put back the old oil from the _last _time you changed it."

"What's wrong with that?"

They stopped at Max's door, and he fished through his pockets for the key. "I wonder if Rick remembered 'No Cab Day,'" he said.

"No doubt," said Ben. "He probably just left and found something else to do."

* * *

Rick couldn't remember a time when he was so nervous. He sipped his coffee in complete silence without a clue as to what he would say. Lisa sat across from him, just as quiet, but nowhere near as proud as she normally appeared. Maybe it was her wet hair and clothing. Maybe she was just plain sick of being with Rick, especially after what she'd been through at the theater. She looked completely worn out.

And he still didn't understand why she'd acted the way she did. But he knew he was close to discovering it, whether he wanted to or not.

Lisa slowly set down her coffee. It was empty. She looked around for the waitress but couldn't find her.

She took a shaky breath. "Well, Lieutenant Hunter," she said quietly, "you certainly have a knack for finding me at my worst."

"I'm not sure I understand," said Rick.

"Well, you know... first Mars Base, and now this..."

It carried like a gunshot in his mind. _Mars Base!_

"I...uh...well, I'd almost forgotten about that," he smiled.

Lisa looked away, but smiled back. "You're too kind."

Rick tried to flag down the waitress. She went through the doors to the kitchen without looking back.

"I probably never thanked you for saving my life," Lisa said bashfully. "And...I didn't give you much of an explanation for my actions...and I've been unnecessarily harsh on you lately, and..."

Rick watched her look down at the empty cup of coffee. He tried not to let his nervousness show.

"God," she sighed. "I'm such a jerk."

He frowned, and tried to look her in the eye. "Hey, I don't think that's..."

"No. You know what? That's just what I am. I'm a cold, heartless...what'd you call me?"

Rick chuckled tensely. "Oh, you know...I didn't...I mean..."

"_Sourpuss. _That's what I am, an old _sourpuss. _And for that, Lieutenant...I apologize."

She quickly got up to leave. But before she could slide out of the booth, Rick grabbed her by the hand. She gasped and turned her head, and for the first time in nearly an hour, she looked him in the eyes.

He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm about as disrespectful as they come, aren't I?"

Her eyes flashed down at Rick's hand, then back at his eyes. "I...I don't..."

"I never even thought about it," he said, and gently let her go. "I don't think I've ever said an encouraging thing to you. I'm rude, I've got a temper like _crazy_...and I don't take direction very well."

She took a dumbfounded breath. "No...you don't..." she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he said, earnestly.

They spent a moment in silence. Lisa looked back down at her hand.

"I'm not so tough," said Rick. "I mean...just _look _at me! I'm just some kid stuck in a war." He threw his hands lightly in the air. "The truth is...I'm pretty scared."

Lisa slowly sat back down. She watched Rick carefully; now he was having trouble finding her eyes.

"I try to put on this front...kind of keep everything out of my head. But...I really respect you. I admire what you do. You're looking after _my _life every time I fly."

She blushed deeply, and tried her best to hide it. "I just...don't let you land," she smiled.

They shared a laugh; a sigh of relief. The rain pounded just as hard against the window, and the thunder clapped just as loud, but neither of them seemed to notice. They sat quietly, exhausted but much less fatigued.

That was, until the waitress appeared out of nowhere and scared both of them to death.

"More coffee?" she called out, apparently as loudly as she could.

Rick grated his fingers against the table. "_Sure! _Yes, coffee would be _great, thank you."

* * *

_

Roy came down the hallway, pushing through a sea of movie-goers on their way out. He finally made it to Claudia. They made their way back into the crowd and headed for the door.

"I can't find Rick!" said Roy.

"And I can't find Lisa!" Claudia shrugged. "I could've sworn she was sitting right next to us the whole time! When could she have left?"

"I don't know...I hope she's all right."

A group of nerdy-looking boys started giggling beside Claudia. One of them pretended to trip, and fell towards her with his hands conveniently reaching for her chest. Claudia punched the little guy in the face before he could touch her.

"And what about Rick?" she continued. "I thought you said he was looking forward to this!"

"He was," said Roy. He eyed the wounded boy on the floor, a little stunned, as they passed the group by. "He...um...yeah! That's all he talked about all week!"

"Gosh, this is just our luck..."

Roy sighed. "Well...I told you it wouldn't work. They'd never go for something like this..."

Claudia frowned. "Maybe if they just loosened up a little!"

A young man in a Strike Trooper costume tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me," he said, "have you seen my _lightsaber_...?"

Claudia growled impatiently. She grabbed the fellow by his head, and pounded the plastic helmet against a garbage can.

"Whoa!" Roy laughed.

The Strike Trooper wobbled around dizzily. "Ouch!" he moaned. "What the hell was that for!"

Claudia folded her arms. "_That's_ for trying a cheesy pickup line on me!"

He rubbed the top of his helmet. "What pickup line? I'm just looking for my lightsaber! I dropped it, all right?"

Claudia covered her mouth shyly. "Oh! Um...oh...sorry!"

* * *

Rick tried to shelter himself under the doorway to Lisa's apartment. The rain was coming down harder every minute, and it was a long walk home. But he'd deal with that later.

Lisa stood inside, with a bashful smile on her face. Her green eyes held a sparkle that Rick had never seen before. She sniffed from the cold and her hair was a soaking mess, but she was still smiling, and still content to stand in the doorway.

"Did I ruin your night?" she asked shyly.

"Oh no," said Rick. "No, not at all...in fact...you made it a lot of fun."

Lisa played with her wet hair. "Oh, I'm sure. Sitting around in a dingy old diner, with a girl who goes crazy in movie theaters..."

"Don't feel bad," he smiled. "I really did have a good time."

She nodded to the floor and shuffled her feet a little. The wind began to kick up; some of the rain was blowing in through the open doorway. Lisa didn't seem to care.

"Well...thank you for everything, Lieutenant Hunter."

Rick winced at the mention of his rank. "Oh...come on, now! Please, don't say the _L_-word on weekends."

She giggled at herself. "I'm sorry."

"I'm more comfortable with Rick...if you don't mind."

"Of course! And I really appreciate you spending the evening with me..." Lisa seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "_...Rick."_

"My pleasure," said Rick courteously. He grinned a little. "Do you, uh...still prefer 'Commander' on weekends...or can I call you Lisa?"

"Please do!" she said eagerly, and seemed to blush a little.

They said their goodnights. Lisa invited Rick inside to warm up, but she didn't seem to offer very hard, so he declined. This was all just a bit too much for him anyway.

As he stepped through the puddles in the sidewalk, he remembered the sparkle in Lisa's green eyes. He must have completely misjudged her. The Lisa he saw tonight was totally different from what he was used to. She was timid, and kind, and to Rick's surprise, she was very warm. And if he hadn't been so hot-tempered all the time, he might have noticed sooner.

She wasn't just an angry face on a computer screen. She was a human being, with a sparkle in her green eyes.

As he rounded the street corner, heremembered the movie poster -- _Death on Mars. _It dragged at his heart. His thoughts trailed back to a mission to the Red Planet, to save Lisa Hayes from the grasp of a dead man.

He decided to take the long way home.


	5. Chapter 5

Rick sipped from a cup of bad coffee in the pilot's lounge. Once again, he was still wearing his jumpsuit. This time it was ripped upat his shoulder. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his forehead. He set the coffee down on a table beside the sofa, and eased an ice pack onto his head.

His nerves were completely shot. He shut his eyes and tried to calm down. But all he could think about was his canopy shattering, the shards of glass pelting his helmet and the sudden loss of cockpit pressure that almost made him black out.

Roy sat down beside him. "Man, are you one lucky kid!" he sighed. "I mean...I've seen a lot of things in my day...but _that..._"

Rickclosed his eyes tightly. "Shut up, Roy."

"Just trying to lighten the mood..."

"You're _not. Shut up."_

Roy shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Mister Hunter," he said as he stretched out his legs. "No more comments from the peanut gallery."

"Thank you."

A pilot walked in, noticed the scowl on Rick's face and kept on walking.

"So...you get that checked out yet?" asked Roy, nodding to Rick's bandaged face.

"No. I'll be all right."

"Mm-_hmm._"

Rick set down the cold pack and grabbed his coffee. He took a long sip from the paper cup.

"Geez this is bad!" he coughed. He tossed it in the garbage can.

"Hey, you all right, buddy?" asked Roy. "You can relax now, everything's gonna get taken care of..."

"Roy, don't you have somewhere to _be?"_

The Skull pilot looked at Rick's stern face for a while. "All right," he finally said, and slapped his knees tiredly. "All right, you can sit here all day and get all upset with yourself."

He stood up to leave the lounge but as he stepped into the hallway, he turned back around.

"You know...you could've avoided the whole thing with a quick split maneuver."

Rick folded his arms. "I don't know a split maneuver," he said quietly.

"Aw, sure you do. Didn't Pops teach you that?"

Rick stood up. "Pops didn't teach me a whole lot of _anything, _remember?"

Roy leaned against the open door frame. "Oh, is that right."

"_Yeah _it's right! You flew with him every single day! He taught _you! _Know where I was? I was stuck in some _movie theater _where I didn't get in the _way! _And then when _I _wanted to get in a plane, _you _taught me to fly. And you did _not _teach me a _split maneuver!_"

Roy blinked his eyes. He looked at Rick, then back at the sofa.

"You want a shrink to go with that couch?" he asked, and dodged a flying magazine as he retreated down the hall.

Rick fell back into the sofa. _Geez, _he thought. _It was so easy...I just couldn't...see it coming...I screwed up again!_

He looked back at the table for his ice pack. As he reached to grab it, he found Lisa standing in the doorway. She was back in her uniform, proper and professional. But she didn't illicit a salute from him. She gave him a casual wave instead.

"Hello," she said.

Rick nodded her way. "Hi."

"I just got back from the medic...regular exam and all...and they're looking for you down there."

"I know. Please don't bring it up right now."

Lisa stepped into the lounge. "I could order you to go down there right now," she said.

Rick looked up. He cringed as he put the ice back on.

"Do I need to?" she asked.

"No."

"All right, then I won't."

He leaned back in his place and left her standing where she was. His head was throbbing like crazy. Maybe he _did _need a quick check-up.

Lisa shuffled her feet. "May I sit down?"

Rick scooted over and made some room. "Sure," he sighed.

She had a seat beside him, carefully crossing her legs and straightening her uniform. "I wasn't on duty this morning. But...I heard something happened."

"Something happened," Rick grumbled. He still felt jumpy.

Lisa nodded. "Should I...look up the report?"

"You're going to laugh."

"Laugh? No I won't."

"Oh yeah, you will."

"I will _not."_ She looked Rick in the eyes. "Lieutenant, I do _not _laugh on-duty."

It made Rick crack a smile. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "All right, all right. I was running a new pattern with Roy, and I got distracted, I guess..."

"That's understandable..." Lisa encouraged.

"Yeah, well...I sort of...hit a seagull."

"Oh!" Lisa covered a smiling face. "Oh, you don't say. Where...um, where'd it land?"

"My canopy."

Her smile disappeared right away. "_Oh..._oh my gosh. Did it...break?"

"Yeah.Went throughmy heads-up."

"Oh my goodness..."

"And...uh, my visor wasn't down...which is my own fault, I guess...so the heads-up got me right in the face before my suit could pressurize."

Lisa's fingers ran over her lips. "Oh...wow."

Rick tried to perk up a little. "I guess it _was _kinda funny...you know...'cause the bird kinda slammed into my seat right next to my head..." He laughed nervously, shivering from the cold pack. "The guys said they still can't get it outta there!"

"Oh, Rick..." she winced, her eyes in distress.

He dropped his head into his hands. "I was really close. I could've missed it...oh man, I was really close."

He felt tears running over his cheeks; he brushed them away as quickly as he could.

"A split maneuver...what the heck is that!"

Rick felt Lisa's hand run across his back and wrap around his scratched shoulder. She drew him a little closer and whispered in his ear.

"Everybody makes mistakes, Lieutenant. One time, I put this guy in a holding pattern for almost half an hour..."

* * *

Rick wasn't insecure by any respect, but he'd always been somewhat careful with how he approached things. He felt as though he could take on the world, as long as he could get a little prepared first. Getting tossed into a weird new experience wasn't his cup of tea. He was never at his most confident when he wasn't familiar with his surroundings.

There were still a few places he avoided, and therefore, loathed. One of those places was the bookstore.

He knew he wouldn't be comfortable from the moment he walked into the Macross _Burns & Grumble _store. There were books, for one. Which he _was _expecting...just not so many, or shelved in such a way that hewould becomelost in the first five minutes.

And wherever he looked, he'd seem to find a customer sitting on a chair between the aisles, or even on the floor, reading a book. And drinking some weird coffee-looking drink with sprinkles on it. Where the patronshad_ gotten_the coffee drinks, or how they'd snuck them into the store, Rick couldn't figure out.

Disoriented as he was, he'd finally found the store's extensive music and video section. He'd spent the last few minutes in a very unproductive conversation with department specialist, a skinny young man in his mid-teens.

"Okay," he said, typing at a computer from behind his desk. "What were you looking for again?"

Rick sighed. "I told you, I ordered a tape of the original _Space Battle._ You called me and said it came in today."

The kid shook his head. "Well...it wasn't _me _who called you. I didn't start work until five...maybe it was Josh...no, wait, he doesn't work today. I think Marcus was in this department..."

"Look," said Rick. "I don't care _who _called me. _Somebody_ called and told me to pick up my movie."

"All right, I'll try and look it up..." The young employee typed away at his keyboard. "Ah. Here we go. _Space Battle: Special Edition. _Sorry, that movie's still in theaters."

"It's _not _in theaters," Rick said. "It's a cheesy sci-fi movie that came out when I was a little kid. They slapped some three-dee monsters into it and _put _it back in theaters."

"Um...right, sure...well, it doesn't come out on video until January of next year."

Rick rubbed his aching head. "Look it up _again."_

The kid shrugged and searched another time. "Okay...I'm showing nineteen results for _Space Trek. _Is that it?"

"_No,"_ Rick said emphatically.

"_Space Trek 2...Space Trek 3: The Search for Spork...Space Trek 4: The Wrath of Swan..."_

"Different movie!"

"Okay, okay...tell you what, I'll search the whole database."

Rick drummed his fingers on the table. "Good. That sounds productive. Let's do that."

"It'll take a second." The young man tapped a few keys. He sat back in his swiveling chair and watched the monitor.

Moments passed. The kid kept watching his screen, not saying or doing much of anything. Rick wondered if he'd completely forgotten what he was searching for.

"Uh...any luck?" he asked.

"It's still searching...oh! By the way, I forgot to mention this."

The young specialist reached under his counter and picked up a video box. A cartoonish drawing of a beautiful girl, dressed in a pink bikini and sporting cat's ears, was on the cover.

"Would you like to pre-order a copy of the hit new Japanese anime, _Splash Splash Neko?_"

"No, I would _not._"

He grabbed another cartoon-clad box from below the computer. "How about _Dashing Inspector Ryuko?_"

"No."

"_Gunblazer Vampire?_"

"No!"

"_Yuki Ninja Princess?"_

"I'll think about it...I mean _no!"_

This was getting tiring. A line was starting to form behind Rick, and he wasn't exactly enjoying himself.

"Is that thing done yet?" he asked.

"Nope...still searching..." the kid disappeared under the counter. "Ooh...I've got the new _Dragonblast G_ on pre-order..."

"Where are you _getting _those?" growled Rick. He leaned over top of the counter and found a huge stack of video discs and music CD's. On the very top was his order -- an old, yet unopened, video cassette tape of _Space Battle._

"That's it!" cried Rick. "Right there! That's my movie!"

"Oh, so you're a _Dragonblast _fan, huh?"

"No, you idiot..."

Rick grabbed the _Space Battle _tape off the pile and stormed away. The line of customers gave him dirty looks for holding up the line. At the very end, an old lady frowned at him with her arms crossed.

"Japanese animation," she huffed. "Well, I _never."_

The young salesman waved over top of the line. "Thank you and have a nice day!"

* * *

_I've been in here fifteen minutes and already I can't stand it. Where the heck do I pay for this thing!_

Rick wandered by the aisles of books, trying to keep a lookout for some kind of cashier. He wasn't seeing one. And if he didn't find one soon, he figured he'd start tipping over the racks until someone finally helped him.

_Rick! Is that you, Rick?_

Did he hear Lisa's voice? He was almost sure he did. He back-tracked a little and poked his head into the aisles. "Hello?" he called.

"Rick! Small world."

Sure enough, Lisa Hayes was nestled into a comfortable, cushioned seat at the end of an aisle. She was out of uniform again, dressed in jeans and a comfortable sweater. It was still a little awkward to see. He had to keep reminding himself that Lisa was a human being too.

A big stack of books was on the floor by her chair. There were some thick, intimidating books at the bottom, like _A History of the Early Battles of the Macross War._ But most of them seemed to be novels, and he couldn't make out the titles.

"Hey," he said. He couldn't think of much else.

"I didn't know you came here," Lisa smiled. She carefully closed her book and set it down. Rick skimmed over the title -- curses! He'd never heard of it.

"Um...yeah...well, I sort of _don't,_" he laughed. "This is my first time in." He nodded towards Lisa's collection of books. "You, uh...come here pretty regularly?"

Funny -- she was looking right at Rick, but she almost didn't seem to be paying attention. Her emerald eyes seemed a little glazed over.

"...Hmmh? Oh! Uh...yes! I come here just about every weekend." She thought for a moment, and blushed a little. "Guess I'm...sort of dull, I don't know..."

"Aw, not at all," said Rick. "What else would you do? Go to some bar and drink? This place is nice, I like it!"

Lisa smiled again. "Well...yeah, I suppose."

"Can I have a seat?" he asked.

"Sure! Would you like mine?"

"No! No, that's okay, you stay comfortable." Rick stretched out in the aisle. "Man...it feels like I've been walking for ever in here."

"I guess it's kinda big," she nodded. "What were you looking for?"

"Um...a way out."

They both laughed. Lisa looked down at her books. "Hey...if we go over to the coffee shop, we could check out our things there. I usually grab something to drink before I go..."

"Mind if I join you?" Rick asked.

"Oh sure, not at all!"

She seemed almost as nervous as Rick was. And a little embarrassed as well, but he had no idea why. He helped her gather up her things and they left the aisle together.

"My treat," said Lisa. "I owe you for the other night...in fact, I owe you a lot more than a little coffee..."

"Coffee will be just fine," grinned Rick. "Besides, I have a feeling it'll cost a fortune here."

"Oh, it does!" she giggled.

"We'll pool our resources. Maybe we can split a scone."

* * *

Ordering a drink at the bookstore's coffee shop turned out to be a daunting task. The person who made the drinks -- the _barista,_ as Rick came to understand -- apparently didn't understand the phrase "I would like a coffee, please." He wasn't able to prepare a caffeinated beverage unless it was sprinkled with something sugary or fruity. Rick had been ready to give up, but Lisa had stepped in and ordered something on his behalf.

He sat with her in a cozy booth, examining the drink like a raccoon poking around in a garbage can.

"Are you sure this is coffee?" he smiled. "There's ice cubes in it!"

"Trust me," said Lisa, "it's really good."

Rick took a sip. Quite tasty...but it was ice-cold coffee, flavored with pineapple. He had to laugh at himself.

"I sure don't belong here," he sighed.

"Oh, you fit in just fine."

They sat for a while enjoying their drinks, mostly silent. Rick kept looking for opportunities to converse, but he was in a foreign land with a girl he didn't really know, drinking cold coffee with pineapples in it. He was about as confused as possible.

"Rick..." Lisa began. But she stopped and giggled at herself. "Heh...you know, it's still a little awkward calling you that."

"Oh, I know," Rick said. "It's still weird seeing you without your clothes on."

Silence again. Lisa slowly covered her smiling face while Rick kept drinking. It took him a few moments, but he finally put his cup down, and his face grew extremely red.

"Without...the _uniform..._you _normally wear..._" Rick covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry."

But thankfully, Lisa didn't seem offended at all. She and Rick shared a good laugh about it; awkward, but genuine. The people sitting nearby shot them dirty looks, and whispered back and forth about how it was a place to read _quietly._

"Oh gosh, that's funny," smiled Lisa, wiping her eyes.

Rick sighed even deeper. "Oh man, I cannot _wait _until this day's over...sometimes I can't get _anything _right."

He looked up tiredly at his gracious company. It seemed like the more time he spent with Lisa, the _harder_ it was to be around her. He wasn't comfortable anymore. Everything about her seemed to catch him off-guard. Just seeing her outside the base made him nervous; he could barely make eye contact with her. It was a lot easier when he was just snapping annoying comments her way.

"I know the feeling," she sighed. "I really do."

* * *

They sat outside in a courtyard by the bookstore; the night was warm enough but they still had it all to themselves. There were some park benches around a small water fountain, all empty, and through the trees it looked as though the rain was finally going to hold off for a while.

Lisa blinked her deep green eyes. "What I was going to say in there...was that I'm really sorry about what happened today."

Rick smiled painfully. "Thanks."

"I thought about it all day."

He blinked with surprise. Did he hear that right?

"I'm sure they'll have me back up there in no time," he said.

"I hope so."

Lisa brushed the hair from her eyes. She looked up through the trees at the patchy night sky.

"You know...I heard you saying some things this morning," Lisa said quietly. "I guess it's none of my business, but...did you really teach _yourself_ to fly a Veritech?"

Rick shrugged a little. "Uh...yeah, I guess. They're a lot different than what I usually fly...I'm still getting used to it. I'll be more careful next time."

"No, that's not what I meant!" she laughed, and looked down at his eyes. "That's unbelievable!"

"Not if you're a seagull..."

The bookstore bag slipped out of his hand and hit the ground. Rick's _Space Battle _video slid out. He grabbed the tape and quickly shoved it back where it belonged. He figured he was due for something embarrassing to happen. So much for the macho-pilot image, he thought.

Lisa couldn't have missed it. She smiled. "That movie again?"

"...Yeah."

She reached over his lap and grabbed the bag. "All right, let's see this thing."

_I want to go home, _Rick winced inwardly.

"Hmm." She read over the back of the box. "...So I'm really missing out, not seeing this?"

"Maybe I have a soft spot for it. I really liked it when I was a kid."

"Well...perhaps I owe it to myself to finally see what the buzz is about."

Rick took a deep breath. _This is gonna be the most embarrassing thing I do tonight...but why not._

"Want to watch it with me?" he asked sheepishly.

Lisa looked up again. He was expecting some kind of pitiful _oh, that's sweet _response, but for some oddly terrifying reason, she seemed genuinely touched by it.

"...Really?"

He was _not_ expecting this.

"Well...sure! It really _is_ kind of a fun movie."

"It's not, like...a science-fiction..._horror _movie."

"Oh no," he said. "No, you'd be surprised."

She seemed to be getting a little apprehensive. "All right...because...those things bother me a little."

"It's not like that at all," he smiled.

"You're absolutely _sure."_

"I've seen it quite a few times, yes."

Lisa rubbed her hands together, and fidgeted in her seat. "All right," she nodded. "But...well, I'm not much fun in a theater... could we watch it at your place, maybe?"

Say _what, _now?

"Well...of course!" he said. "Sure! Yeah, that'll...that'll be fun!"

"Very good, then." She gained her trademark confidence right back. "If memory serves me, you don't fly on Wednesdays."

Rick chuckled. "I may never fly again!"

"Wednesday evening, then? Seven o'clock?"

"Um...yeah! Fine with me!" he said.

She reached over, set the movie in his lap and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks," she said, with a beaming smile. "I'll see you then."

Rick watched as she trotted off to call a taxi. He sat speechless for a while, but finally managed to think of something worth saying.

"Do you...need directions to my place?"

Acab pulled up and she quickly popped the door open. She looked back and gave him another bright smile. "I'll look you up, Lieutenant. You're in the database...just don't quit before Wednesday!"

He watched the taxi speed off into the night. "Whatever just happened," he said to himself, "I'm pretty sure I made an idiot of myself...but I guess that's all right."

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Lisa sat alone at the officers' mess hall. It was more like a miniature restaurant, really – warmly decorated and comfortable, and with very passable food. The RDF treated its officers as well as it could. But usually, this sort of treatment only made Lisa feel lonelier.

Unless Claudia was around, she always found a seat by herself.

_I can't believe I'm doing this, _she thought, watching her coffee splash around in a half-empty mug.

The upstart new pilot, the young maverick without a care for authority, was a totally different person now that she'd spent some time with him. Rick Hunter wasn't as vehement as she'd always thought. He was quiet, and a little shy, but charming.

And in some odd way, he seemed interested in her.

_This is killing me! s_he frowned. The reflection in her coffee made her look ugly and distorted. _I wish I could tell someone…but I can't tell Claudia. Not after everything I've _said _about Hunter…she'd never stop laughing. 'Oh, how cute…Lisa's got a crush on the pilot…'_

_Well, I do not! I'm just going to watch an innocent little movie with a friend from work._

That stupid movie; the very thought of it made her sick. She hadn't been able to eat all day because of it. She _really _wished she could avoid the movie part.

It had taken her ages just to sleep a night without some horrible dream. Her mind would conjure up images, a new one every night, of her beloved fiancé Karl Riber. He died thousands of times in her mind. Sucked into a Veritech's engine intake, shot to death in a firefight, bursting apart from a de-pressurized space suit.

The aliens were the worst dreams. Horrible demons from Hell that lurked under the surface of the barren Red Planet, pouncing forth to maul poor Karl. He would fight his best, but his ammunition would always run out and he would fall. Lisa saw him gashed, bitten, impaled and dismembered by the beasts. He always cried out for her when he died.

No one had ever found the real reason Mars Base was abandoned. Lisa's only limit was her imagination. And ever since the tragedy, she had avoided anything that might remind her of Karl's death.

_I shouldn't even be doing this, _she sighed. _Why am I even trying? I have nothing in common with Rick. I haven't even _dated _since Karl left me. And I feel…_

A few young ladies walked by Lisa's table with lunch trays. They glanced at her spot, which had plenty of room, but kept on going.

_I feel so _guilty _about it._

She took another sip of coffee. It was bitter and it turned her stomach. She was hungry, scared, sick, and absolutely alone.

_I don't care what happens. I don't want to be alone anymore.

* * *

_

Ben Dixon's car was possibly the worst looking and most unsafe thing on four wheels. There was no question about it. Ben's car gave _ugly _cars a self-esteem boost.

It was at least thirteen years old – which was how far Rick and Max could trace the car's model. Ben couldn't remember the actual year it was made, so there was a chance it was fifteen years old, or more. It was a boxy, awful-looking sedan with four doors, painted lime green. Except for the driver's door, which was an even uglier shade of dark brown. And even though it was the only part that'd been replaced, the door had a massive dent in it.

None of the hub caps matched – for that matter, none of the _tires _matched. The "sunroof," a rust spot that Ben had sawed open and covered up with plexi-glass, was drafty, and wasn't for driving in the rain. It was a "summer car," as Ben liked to put it.

It was one of the few cars that'd survived life on the SDF-1. By some miracle, the old vehicle had been into space and back again. It was still driving, and Ben loved it.

But today, Roy was having one _heck _of a time getting it started.

"Try it now!" he called, tapping the alternator with a hammer.

Rick sat in the driver's seat. He turned the key; the car still wouldn't start.

"Hold it!" shouted Roy.

Rick slammed the door as he stepped out. The door didn't shut right; he slammed it harder and it finally latched.

"Still nothing?" he asked.

"No," Roy said with a smile. "This thing's being stubborn, all right. I've gotta get it out of here, too. The neighbors have a thing against keeping junk heaps in your driveway."

And Roy was right; the car had been in front of his apartment flat for almost a week. It wasn't exactly the image his neighborhood wanted to display.

"We oughtta just finish it off," Rick smiled. "Take off the tires and put it on blocks."

"That does _not _sound constructive…"

Roy went to another part of the engine. Rick watched a few neighbors walk by an stare with contempt at the ugly car. He wished he could do more than just stand around.

"Oh, by the way," Roy said. "I shouldn't have bugged you the other day. Sorry about that."

"…Nah, you'd know best."

"Gimme that wrench over there, would you?"

Rick shrugged, picked up a wrench, and handed it in. Roy spun around and almost bumped his head on the hood latch.

"Thanks," he said, and he loosened one of the hoses connected to the engine. He pulled it off and showed it to Rick. It was dried up, cracked, and dripping fluid.

"Is that oil?" asked Rick.

"It should be," sighed Roy. "But I've never seen _green oil _before…"

He threw the part into his open garage. "Hey," he said, leaning on the car's bumper. "I think I know it all sometimes, but I'm just getting by."

"Yeah, well, you're doing a lot better than I am."

"I think you're doing just fine."

A car full of teenagers drove slowly by Roy's place. A few of the kids decided to hang out the window and shout some insults.

They watched the car drive off. Rick barely noticed it, though; his mind was still on his argument with Roy.

"He was a pretty good guy," said Rick. "Pops, that is. Seemed like it anyway. Just kinda doing his best at what he loved. You're lucky you got to hang around him so much."

Roy took a deep breath. "Well, I don't know…I think maybe you were luckier than you thought."

"_Oh yeah._"

"No, I'm serious." Roy smiled at his friend. "No offense, but your dad was a _total_ idiot."

They laughed, but Rick was interested.

"Oh yeah?" he said.

"_Yes, _without a doubt. Guy couldn't get _anything _right. He blew his marriage, wasted all his money, didn't watch his health…I'm glad you weren't around to see all that."

"Oh, come on! He wasn't _that _bad. What about all that time he spent with you?"

"He was teaching me all the wrong things. That's why I left! I couldn't stand the guy anymore."

Rick sat back against the car's door. It made a dent in the rusty metal. Rick hopped back off, and luckily the dent popped back out.

Roy looked back at his friend. "Was that out of line?"

"Hmm?"

"You know."

He thought for a second. "No," he smiled.

"A lot of people look up to you, kid. It's not always a picnic being in your shoes…but you handleyourself really well."

"Thanks, big brother."

* * *

Lisa had never been so nervous in all her life. She was on the sofa in Rick's living room, shivering from the rainy night outside. She didn't have a clue how to act.

This time, a cup of hot tea was in her hands. She was sotense she could barely drink it – but at least it wasn't coffee.

A warm blanketfell gentlyover her shoulders; she almost jumped with surprise.

Rick looked over the sofa at her. "I can't believe you _walked _all the way here," he frowned.

"Cabbies are on strike," she said quietly. "Something about wanting an extension to 'No Cab Day…'"

"I saw it in the paper," grinned Rick. "They want a _week _now!"

They both laughed, horribly uncomfortable.

Lisa sipped her tea again. "Is there honey in this?" she asked.

"And a little sugar. Is that all right?"

"Yeah…yes, thank you. It's very good."

A chime sounded from back in the kitchen. Rick got back up. "That's the popcorn!" he said. "I think we're about ready to start this movie."

"Can't wait," Lisa smiled; her stomachgrewqueasywhen she looked at the television.

In a few moments he was back, seated beside her on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and some giant sodas.

"Just like the real thing." He looked at his small television and laughed. "Except for the screen anyway."

"I like this better!" said Lisa.

"Heh, that's good. Oh wait – forgot one more thing."

Rick reached around on the floor until he came up with a TV remote.

"If you…get sick of this, just let me know, all right?"

Lisa smiled and nodded. "Okay…thanks."

* * *

Claudia opened the door to Roy's garage. "Hey!" she called out. "Your door was unlocked, so I – _what in the world is that!"_

Ben's car was inside the garage with its hood up. Old, rusted parts were all over the floor. A bunch of work lights were shining down on the engine.

Roy climbed out from under the car. "Hi there!" he grinned. "This…is a nightmare."

"Yeah...sure is." Claudia stepped into the garage and looked the car over. "What's it doing here?"

"I had to push it in here and shut the door. Neighbors were getting angry."

"This thing is _yours?_"

Roy laughed. "Of course not! It's Ben Dixon's car. I told him I'd help fix it."

"Oh…why?"

"None of the mechanics in town will work on it anymore. They can't figure out how it was running _before now._"

Claudia giggled. "Can I help?"

"Nah, I need a break." Roy slammed the hood down. "Have a seat."

She hopped onto the car beside him. Roy gave her a kiss. "You look nice," he said. "Going somewhere without me tonight?"

"Mm-hmm!" she smiled warmly. "Well…I was, anyway. Lisa and I usually go out for coffee tonight. But I showed up at her place and she wasn't home."

"Think she's all right?"

"Sure. She's fine…there was a note on her door saying she needed to go for a walk.

"Hmm."

Roy pulled a remote control from his pocket. He pressed a button and his garage door slid open. It was pouring rain outside. Cars were driving by and hitting deep puddles, splashing water onto Roy's front yard.

Claudia sighed. "Sometimes…she likes to walk in the rain."

Roy put his arm around her shoulder. "Are you worried about her?" he asked.

"…Yeah…I'm concerned. She's so young…and she acts like it's all _over _for her."

"Rick acts that way sometimes, too."

Claudia rested her head on Roy's shoulder. "They're so unhappy…it's like they're giving up."

* * *

Lisa had managed to wrap herself in three more blankets and the pillows from the sofa. Her hands were covering her eyes, but she was peeking through her fingers at the television.

_Quick! Where are the controls to the bridge?_

…_I think I just blasted them!_

The hero of the story, Luke Starkiller, wasn't the traditional macho action guy that Lisa had expected. Luke was a young man, no older than she was. A thin boy with wavy hair; he reminded Lisa of Rick.

To his misfortune, Starkiller was trapped in an enemy battle station. He'd just closed a metallic blast door and shot the controls, only to discover that he was stuck on a ledge. The fall would suck him into vent shafts and mean certain death. And to make matters worse, the beautiful princess was at his side.

The evil Strike Troopers began open the door. Time was running out.

Lisa shut her eyes and buried her face in the couch cushions. "That's it!" she cried. "All right, I'm not watching this. That's enough."

Rick paused the video. "Aw, you can watch this part."

"I can _not._"

"Sure, this is a good part."

"It is _not _a good part," Lisa twitched, her face still hidden in the back of the sofa. "They're going to get sucked into the vents and _die._"

"Aw, come on." Rick put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey…there's still, like, forty-five minutes of the movie left! They can't die, right?"

"…They could be horribly disfigured."

Rick gently tugged on her until she let go of the sofa. Her face was red, and she smiled meekly.

He gave her his hand. "It'll be all right. Trust me?"

Lisa blinked her glassy emerald eyes. She slipped a cold hand into his, sat back and tried to relax.

Luke Starkiller pulled a line of rope from his belt. He swung thecable over his head and tossed itinto the abyss. A grappling hook attached to the robotic equipment overhead.

The blast door began to slide open. The princess looked at Starkiller, and kissed him on the cheek. "For luck," she smiled.

She wrapped her arms around him, and the two swung to safety. Luke set foot on a platform across the chasm, and escaped the evil Empire once more.

Lisa blushed deeply; an excited chill ran down her spine. She looked up at Rick. He was staring at the small TV with anticipation, and a spark of life in his eyes.

* * *

"So it's settled, then."

Claudia firmly placed her pen down on a notepad. Roy sat with her at his kitchen table, looking a little preoccupied. He still hadn't gotten Ben's car to start.

"We're going to try for a second date," Claudia said. "You talk to Rick tomorrow after he lands his Veritech, and I'll have a little heart-to-heart with Lisa on our coffee break."

"And we're not pulling any punches," said Roy. "I'm going to tell him straight-up…'Rick, I'm sick of your whining, so I'm putting you in close proximity with Commander Hayes until the two of you fall in love."

"Exactly," nodded Claudia.

"And you expect Rick to _agree _to that."

"No…but I don't expect Lisa to agree to it, either." Claudia sighed and tapped her fingers on the notepad. "At least it'll clear my conscience a little."

"Yeah," smiled Roy. "And Rick'll be so mad at me, he'll never want to mope around again."

"…Do you think it'll work?"

"I hope so."

Roy reached out and took Claudia's hand.

"Did you really have to write that down?" he chuckled.

"Hey, it helps me relax!"

"I thought you were the one who _was _relaxed! You're more of a wreck than Lisa is!"

"…Oh, go fix your stupid car."

* * *

Thousands of soldiers stood at perfect attention. They were fighters in the Rebel Alliance, facing gargantuan odds against the evil Empire. But they had won the day, thanks to a brave young hero named Luke Starkiller.

He faced the army from the top step ofan old temple. Thousands of years before, the Knights of the Republic had learned the mysterious ways of the Force and protected their own people. Luke was destined to join them; to rekindle the fire of their lost religion and return hope to the galaxy.

The princess approached him, as beautiful as he had ever seen her. As she carefully wrapped a hero's medal around Luke's neck, she smiled at him fondly.

The soldiers of the Alliance erupted into cheers. Young Skywalker had risen from obscurity, taken on the impossible, and become their savior.

The television screen went black, and the credits rolled.

_Directed by Greg Lookins_

Lisa almost jumped out of the sofa. She'd been glued to the little T.V. emphatically for over an hour.

"That…that's _all?" _she cried. "That's the _end?"_

Rick caught her slipping bowl of popcorn. "Yup," he grinned. "That's the movie. Gosh, I still love it after all these years…"

Lisa sat back against the cushions, looking totally defeated. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

"That can-_not _be the end. I don't believe it…that's all there is?"

"Well, sort of…" Rick began.

"But what happens to Luke Starkiller? Does he ever become a Knight? Does he destroy the Empire? They don't _tell you!"_

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"And what about his buddy, Solo! Him and the big furry guy! What happens to them? And what about _Dark Invader! _It looks like he lived at th end! He could've lived, right? What if he comes back? Oh my gosh, and what about the _princess! _Does she fall in love with Luke? Do they get married?"

Rick stopped her before she could go on. "You'll have to find out!" he laughed, and took her hand. "There's two more movies after this one!"

Lisa stopped. She calmed down almost instantly, but she was still moved to tears by the film's ending.

"…What's this?"

"Two more," Rick smiled. "Two sequels. They're called _The Empire Comes Back _and _Return of the Knight."_

Lisa looked back at the rolling credits.

"…They are?"

"Mm-hmm."

"…Are they going to play now?"

He laughed again. "No! No, they're totally different movies! But they keep the story going, you know? They tell how it ends."

Lisa stared blankly at the scrolling blue text on the T.V. screen.

"Rick," she sighed. "I have _got _to see those movies."

* * *

They'd spent the whole evening in Rick's apartment. For a long time, they sat on the couch and recounted their favorite bits of the movie; Rick was just as excited as Lisa was. They shouted out "the space port!" at the same time, and both laughed a little harder than they should have.

Lisa confessed that she hadn't eaten all day; Rick wouldn't stand for it. Since it was so late, he made her a little breakfast of eggs and toast and had some for himself. They ate together at his kitchen table. Neither one of them seemed very comfortable, until Rick accidentally spilled a heaping pile of salt onto his eggs. They both had a good laugh about it.

By the time Lisa was ready to leave, it was almost one o'clock in the morning. Rick wouldn't let her walk home in the rain, especially in the middle of the night. And Lisa didn't want Rick to bother walking her all the way home. They both agreed that Lisa should stay at Rick's place for the night.

Lisa found herself wrapped up comfortably in blankets, on the sofa by the television. She was wearing a pair of Rick's sweatpants, which he _insisted_had never been worn. Judging by the ugly color, he was probably telling the truth. But the thought made Lisa blush anyway.

"This was really fun tonight," Rick smiled, as he knelt beside her.

"It was," sighed Lisa. "I can't believe I almost didn't come…I was that worried."

"I'm sorry," said Rick. "I hope this didn't make you uncomfortable."

"No...no, not at all…I've been scared long enough. You helped me through it."

"I'm glad."

She thought to herself for a moment. "That sounds pretty silly, doesn't it?" she giggled.

"No, it's not silly. Everybody's afraid of something."

"Yeah, I suppose…but after a while…you've got to sort of…get over it. Otherwise you'll never get on with your life."

"Like when Luke lost his aunt and uncle," grinned Rick.

"Yeah…just like that."

"It probably wasn't easy," Rick said, "but once he let go…he found out where he really belonged."

Lisa blinked her eyes tightly, but she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face. She reached out of the blankets, draped her arms over Rick's shoulders and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks so much," she breathed.

"What for?" he asked, and held her in return.

"Helping me let go."

She looked up and met Rick's eyes. He was quiet, caring; his smile was almost bashful. When she looked into his dark eyes, the smile disappeared. He seemed afraid. Lisa was absolutely terrified…couldn't he see that? What was _he _afraid of?

But he was; almost shaking with fear. He wasn't the hero Lisa had always imagined. He was young, inexperienced and nervous, just like she was.

It was strangely comforting.

They gently kissed, stared at each others' eyes, and kissed again. Lisa kept her arms around Rick as tightly as she could. She told him about Karl, about how she waited and he never returned. She told him about the nightmares and the monsters. She cried, wiped her eyes and said she was sorry.

He told her she was the bravest person he'd ever met. They shared another kiss, and Rick laid her back into her bed. He held Lisa's hand as she drifted to sleep.

She wasn't visited by any nightmares. She dreamed of Rick Hunter, rescuing her from an evil Empire and swinging her to safety.

* * *

_a/n:_

_If you're even still reading this, you are AWESOME. It's been forever since I've had time to write for my RT stories. I know people are waiting to find out what happens…I'm sorry guys and gals, and I'll try to make it come together faster._

_Thank you again! Your comments are welcome and very appreciated._

_Random Star Wars Fact: George Lucas' original story was supposed to follow a man named "Anakin Starkiller."_


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